 "Daniel Bongino speaks during the House Judiciary Committee hearing on Policing Practices and Law Enforcement Accountability at the US Capitol in Washington, DC, US, June 10, 2020. File Image/Pool via Reuters")
Dan Bongino, a former NYPD officer, Secret Service agent, and right-wing media personality, now serves as the Deputy Director of the FBI — an unprecedented appointment that has placed him at the heart of the escalating internal crisis within the Trump administration.
Bongino is reportedly considering resignation after a fiery dispute with Attorney General Pam Bondi over the fallout from the Jeffrey Epstein investigation.
The disagreement, rooted in unmet expectations about revelations from the investigation into Epstein’s network and death, reflects broader tensions between leading figures in the “Make America Great Again” (Maga) movement.
The fallout is not just administrative — it threatens to divide core figures of Trump’s post-reelection power structure.
Behind the DOJ-FBI dispute
The immediate trigger was a joint memo issued by the Department of Justice (DOJ) and the FBI, which stated that no credible evidence supported the existence of a so-called Epstein “client list.”
It also affirmed, once again, that Epstein died by suicide in a federal detention centre in 2019. That finding contradicted earlier insinuations made by Bondi and Bongino, who had publicly hinted at forthcoming disclosures with potentially explosive implications.
Back in February, Bondi told Fox News that a list of clients associated with Epstein was “sitting on my desk right now to review.”
That comment increased interest among conservative supporters and media figures aligned with Trump.
However, in a later clarification at the White House, Bondi said her comment had referred more broadly to a stack of files, including those related to historic US events.
“That’s what I meant by that,” she told reporters, citing documents involving Epstein as well as investigations into the assassinations of John F Kennedy and Martin Luther King Jr.
Still, expectations had already taken root across the Maga ecosystem. Influencers and commentators believed that the administration would deliver previously hidden truths, and some had been led to expect substantial new evidence.
That belief was bolstered in February when conservative figures were shown binders at the White House labelled “The Epstein Files: Phase 1” and “Declassified,” which ultimately contained mostly publicly available material.
Bondi then claimed she had received information from an FBI source indicating the existence of “thousands of pages of previously undisclosed documents,” and she had even ordered the bureau to provide the “full and complete Epstein files.”
In the weeks that followed, she described the DOJ as reviewing a “truckload” of documents that she said had been newly turned over.
However, the DOJ’s July memo concluded after months of review that “no further disclosure would be appropriate or warranted.”
It explained that much of the material was under court seal for victim protection, and that only a limited portion of the records would have entered public domain had Epstein stood trial.
A video from Epstein’s jail cell was also released to support the official conclusion of suicide, though it raised eyebrows among conspiracy theorists because of a brief missing segment.
Bongino-Bondi rift spills into White House
The friction between Bongino and Bondi reportedly came to a head during a private meeting at the White House, which included FBI Director Kash Patel, White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles, and Deputy Chief of Staff Taylor Budowich.
According to those familiar with the matter, Bongino became “out of control furious” during the session, which followed a media report suggesting the FBI would have released Epstein-related files earlier if it had the authority.
That report, published by NewsNation and citing unnamed sources, appeared to imply that DOJ officials — not the bureau — had delayed the release.
Bondi, Patel, and Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche issued statements rejecting the story’s implications, but Bongino notably did not respond publicly.
The White House sought to downplay any divisions. “President Trump has assembled a highly qualified and experienced law and order team dedicated to protecting Americans, holding criminals accountable, and delivering justice to victims,” said White House spokesman Harrison Fields.
“This work is being carried out seamlessly and with unity. Any attempt to sow division within this team is baseless and distracts from the real progress being made in restoring public safety and pursuing justice for all.”
Still, multiple media outlets have reported that Bongino skipped work the Friday following the meeting and has since remained silent on social media.
According to far-right activist Laura Loomer, who is closely connected to Trump circles, Bongino was “seriously thinking about resigning” and had taken the day to consider his options.
“I’m told Kash and Bongino are furious with Blondi and the blowback she has caused them with her lack of transparency,” Loomer posted.
“Kash Patel and Dan Bongino should call for Blondi’s public resignation today to save themselves and to also push for full transparency into the Epstein files. Someone needs to be fired for this. Giving Blondi courtesy to resign is more than she deserves.”
How Trump has responded on Bondi, Bongino
US President Donald Trump addressed the internal discord through a nearly 400-word post on Truth Social over the weekend, in which he tried to reunite his increasingly fragmented support base.
“What’s going on with my ‘boys’ and, in some cases, ‘gals?’ They’re all going after Attorney General Pam Bondi, who is doing a FANTASTIC JOB! We’re on one Team, MAGA, and I don’t like what’s happening,” he wrote.
Notably absent from Trump’s statement was any direct mention of Bongino. Yet in earlier comments to reporters, Trump praised him: “He sounded terrific, actually … I think he’s in good shape.”
Even as he voiced frustration over the public infighting, Trump sided clearly with Bondi, sending an implicit message about where his loyalties currently lie in this dispute.
Blanche, seeking to quell speculation, posted online: “All of us signed off on the contents of the memo and the conclusions stated in the memo. The suggestion by anyone that there was any daylight between the FBI and DOJ leadership on this memo’s composition and release is patently false.”
Why Dan Bongino’s appointment was controversial
Dan Bongino’s elevation to the role of Deputy FBI Director broke with over a century of institutional precedent. Since its founding in 1908, the bureau had never appointed someone from outside its own ranks to serve as second-in-command.
Bongino, who never served as an FBI agent, began his career with the New York Police Department in 1995 before joining the US Secret Service in 1999, where he remained until 2011.
He later transitioned into media, hosting The Dan Bongino Show on Rumble and appearing regularly on Fox News until 2023.
Bongino also ran unsuccessfully for Congress three times.
A staunch Trump supporter, he became known for promoting theories about the “deep state” and frequently suggested that elites within government institutions were conspiring against conservative figures.
His appointment to the FBI post in February drew swift criticism from former officials and anti-Trump conservatives.
The Republicans Against Trump group wrote: “Donald Trump just named far-right MAGA podcaster Dan Bongino, a notorious conspiracy theorist who promoted the lie that the 2020 election was ‘stolen,’ to serve as Deputy Director of the FBI. God help us all.”
Earlier in his tenure, Bongino had appeared emotional during a segment on Fox & Friends, saying he “gave up everything” to take on the FBI role.
His elevation, along with that of FBI Director Kash Patel — another former Trump loyalist and commentator — sparked concerns that the bureau could be used for political retribution under Trump’s second term.
Critics of both men saw their appointments as part of a broader effort to reshape federal law enforcement into an ally of the Maga movement.
As of now, there is no confirmation on whether Bongino will resign, although reports suggest that his standing within the administration has weakened.
With inputs from agencies